Having pondered (and studied) this question since I first began working for libraries in 2003, at this point I tend to think of a library as being of value in every context of our lives, the only issue being how efficiently librarians can break down the traditional barriers of time (in a chronological sense) and distance between the reader and the knowledge and wisdom of others that might be of value:

“People wish also in the main, to give their fellows and themselves the opportunity for self-improvement … human sympathy … the universal desire for an increase of human happiness by an increase of knowledge of conditions of human happiness”
Library Daylight – Tracings of Modern Librarianship, 1874-1922, Edited Rory Litwin.

Subscribe or Search

Join 1,236 other subscribers

Email Address

Contact

Please send any news, comment or thoughts to ianlibrarian@live.co.uk.

Find library changes and recent news near you

Numbers

Since 1st April 2015: 9 libraries have been confirmed closed (Harrow, Lincolnshire, South Lanarkshire and Trafford). 3 mobile libraries confirmed closed (Enfield, Poole, Thurrock), 8 libraries have been passed to community groups (Leicestershire, Liverpool, Shropshire). 47 static and 16 mobile libraries (Central Bedfordshire, Dorset, Enfield, Fife, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Isle of Wight, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Staffordshire, Wiltshire) have been put under threat.
In financial year 2014/15, 260 static libraries were put under threat of closure/passing to volunteers. 9 mobile libraries under threat. Please note that the number under threat does not normally correspond with the number eventually closed. There are currently 4145 libraries in the UK. There were 4482 in 2009/10 and 4622 in 2003/4.
The complete list is on "Tally by Local Authority" page as are other changes to budgets such as cuts to hours, bookfund and staffing. CIpfa have calculated that 49 service points were lost in 2013/14, 74 were lost in 2012/13 and 201 in 2011/12.
For a list of new and refurbished buildings see this page,

Disclaimers and thanks

Please note that this website is maintained entirely in my own time and should in no way be seen to reflect the opinions or otherwise of my employer.

Please also note that this site uses cookies and use of the site presumes an inherent acceptance of this. Thank you.

I would also like to add at this point my thanks to Shirley Burnham for her frequent emails with relevant public libraries news which I then use as a a large part of the material for this site.

Warren O'Donoghue of Rabbitdigital Design has been wonderful in designing and creating this website, maintaining it and basically being there for the one hundred and one web problems that seem to surface all the time.